WITH temperatures soaring into the 40s yesterday, and no sign of the heat wave abating, government health services warned the public to keep indoors as much as possible and avoid the sun at all costs.
A statement issued yesterday by the Medical and Public Health Services advised that during the next few days when the heat wave is in full swing, the public should take all necessary precautions to protect themselves.
The primary precaution is to avoid the sun between 11am and 4pm, as well as any heavy exertion. Experts advise people to wear hats and sunglasses when in the sun and light cotton clothes instead of dark clothes since they absorb the sun and heat. Drinking 9-10 glasses of water a day and eating light and non-greasy food, particularly fruit and vegetables is highly recommended to avoid dehydration.
Dr Costas Antoniades of the Nicosia General Hospital said yesterday people had to be very careful when temperatures reached such heights, especially children and elderly people who must spend lots of time in cool places.
So far this year, there have been no heat-related cases at the hospital and Antoniades said following the advice would help ensure people’s health.
People with heart, kidney or lung problems or diabetes are also more sensitive to the heat and should be extra careful.
The Labour Ministry yesterday also advised workers not to work in direct sunlight but to do light work in the shade, wearing light clothes and drinking lots of cool water.
However, despite the heat, the cooling centre which opened in Nicosia last summer will not be running again this year.
The centre was an air conditioned area where elderly people could go to escape the heat, chatting with each other or playing backgammon or cards. The aim was to help them through the hot days, as elderly people are more vulnerable to heat.
Loukia Damianou, director of the centre, said the decision not to reopen the centre had been taken by a local committee because there was no response from the public last year.
Despite the cooling centre being highly publicised in the press and on TV, few people used it.
“Most people probably found relief in their air conditioned homes or with their fans so the public didn’t respond positively to the cooling centre,” Damianou said.
The Electricity Authority of Cyprus said yesterday it was well prepared to deal with the surge in power usage by air conditioners during the heat wave.
Costas Gavrielides of the EAC said that all areas are in good condition and capable of dealing with any power demand.
However, there are four areas (Trimiklini, Omonoia, Amathus and Tseri) where the electricity supply is insufficient because of huge delays in the issuing of the necessary licences to build electrical sub-stations in the areas.
The absence of a sub-station in the Nicosia area was the cause of a temporary blackout in the city some years ago, with intermittent power cuts over several days. The EAC says the reason was the Nicosia municipality refusing to give permission to build the sub-station.
The situation has now been rectified with the building of a sub-station next to the Ministry of Finance, making the EAC certain they can deal with any increased power demand in the capital.
